Heart Health Matters

Today, for tomorrow

To sauté or not to sauté

You don’t have to consider yourself a foodie to be a good cook. Nor is a chef’s qualification necessary to feel confident in the kitchen. You may have heard the saying, ‘if you can read, you can cook’. So, all you really need is a tried and tested recipe and some cooking equipment to be well on your way to some delicious family meals.

Recipes will often explain a specific food term or ingredient as necessary. Following a recipe can make all the difference to the end-result, whether you are a novice or expert. A well written recipe should clearly indicate the ingredients and tell you how to prepare each one. For example, if the recipe requires chopped carrots, chopping it finely when it should be coarsely chopped could affect the cooking time and render a different end-result. The method should be clear enough that your dinner looks like the photo in the recipe book or at least have a close resemblance to it. That being said, terminology that is more chef’s-speak than anything else is also not helpful when you are trying to cook supper.

A recipe which specifies to first pan-fry or sauté some ingredients, does so for a reason. It adds lots more flavour without the need for unnecessary, often unhealthy ‘last-minute’ ingredients. Stewing meat, mince or chicken portions which are first sautéed or browned in a saucepan will definitely be more flavourful than ingredients which was just boiled together using the same seasonings – only to be ‘saved’ with cream or a packet of this or that afterwards. Adhering to the instructions and time indications in a recipe will also prevent overcooking. Overcooked food is often tasteless and retains less nutritional value compared to well-prepared foods.

The Cooking from the heart recipes aim to be clear and helpful, ensuring delicious and healthy meals for the whole family. Everyday ingredients are used in creative and interesting ways and the seasonings which are used, are mainly herbs, spices and ingredients like ginger, garlic and of course fresh lemon.

More kitchen terminology and food terms are discussed and explained according to some of the delicious Cooking from the heart recipes on the Facebook page. Follow www.facebook.com/CookingFromTheHeartSA for more hints and tips to make your cooking effortless and exciting.

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